government and cannot be sold for profit to collectors or on eBay, they added. Instead, local law enforcement officials should be contacted, NASA officials said.Īny debris from the UARS satellite still remains the property of the U.S. military warn the public not to touch UARS remains. If any pieces of the satellite debris do fall over or near a populated area, NASA and the U.S. The UARS satellite was decommissioned in December 2005 when NASA commanded the spacecraft to fire its thrusters one last time to use all its remaining fuel to place it on a years-long path toward disposal in Earth's atmosphere. The satellite was initially designed for a three-year mission, but it lasted for 14 years until newer satellites made it obsolete. NASA launched the $750 million UARS spacecraft in 1991 to study the ozone layer and other chemical compounds in Earth's upper atmosphere to better understand their role in the planet's climate. Strategic Command's space situational awareness division, told reporters on Sept. Strategic Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and NASA are keeping a close eye on the falling UARS spacecraft, but have said that they will only be able to pinpoint the satellite's point of impact to within about 6,000 miles (10,000 km) about two hours before re-entry due to its unpredictable nature, U.S. Get a snapshot view of NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), which will fall to Earth in 2011, in this infographic. Solar activity can cause the Earth's atmosphere to heat and expand, increasing drag on low-flying spacecraft. The huge satellite is 35 feet (10.7 meters) long and 15 feet (4.5 m) wide, and has been falling faster than anticipated (initial re-entry estimates pegged its plunge to somewhere between late September and early October) due to increased solar activity last week. Īnd UARS is falling closer to Earth with each passing orbit. That is down from an orbit that peaked at an altitude of 171 miles (275 km) on Sept. 9.Īs of Sunday, the UARS was flying in an orbit that reached a high point of about 149 miles (240 km) above Earth, according to NASA's latest update. If the satellite does fall while flying over a populated region of Earth, skywatchers on the ground could see a dazzling light show if they have clear weather, Nick Johnson, chief scientist of NASA's Orbital Debris Program at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston, said on Sept.
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